GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tusculum University softball team opened up its home slate with a pair of emphatic wins over the visiting Mountain Lions on Friday (Feb. 11).

Tusculum (4-2) remains at home for the rescheduled Chowan tilt. The Saturday (Feb. 12) series is tabbed for a 2 p.m. start at Red Edmonds Field.

Game 1: Tusculum 6, Concord 0
Emily Sappington (3-0) pitched a complete game shutout in the opener, helped by five Concord errors and a pair of runs batted in by Katelynn Hodges.

The Mountain Lions threatened early with one out, but Sappington wrangled her way out of a bases-loaded jam.

TU responded with its own full house, yet no Pioneer crossed the plate.

The second inning started slowing for Tusculum, but four-straight errors by Concord allowed two runs to come home. Kiley Longmire reached on a fielding error by the shortstop. Mya Maddox forced a throwing error by the third baseman with her speed as both runners wound up in scoring position. Hodges singled to left field, while Longmire and Maddox scored after an outfield miscue. She then stole second and advanced to third on a bad throw by the catcher.

Chloe Freischmidt led off the third with a single back up the middle and stole a base for the first time this season. The Pioneers' catcher moved up 60 feet thanks to a wild pitch before Sappington helped her cause with a flyball to center, plating her battery-mate.

Tusculum's defense made a heads-up play in the fourth before the offense extended the lead in the bottom half. With a runner on first, a sharply hit ball to Hayley Lazo at first was smartly turned into a double play. She threw a strike to shortstop Hannah Hughes, who was covering second, before Hughes returned the favor, drawing the frame to a close.

The Pioneers doubled their lead with three runs in the fourth. Maddox singled up the middle and stood at third after a wild pitch and steal. Hodges reached second after a throw by Concord's shortstop was airmailed, allowing Maddox to jog home. Anna Alloway sent the neon ball for a ride down the left field line to trade places with Hodges. Claire Smeltzer scored Alloway after ricocheting a ball off of the third baseman's glove for a double.

Sappington allowed only three hits and three walks, striking out a half dozen in the seven-inning effort.

Game 2: Tusculum 5, Concord 1
Keylon Reynolds (1-0) equaled the longest outing of her career, while Maddox was a stolen base shy of tying the program record. The latter went 4-for-4 at the plate with three steals.

Tusculum got on the board early, scoring in every inning but one. Hodges reached on a fielder's choice to bring Alloway to the plate. She singled to the shortstop who sent the ball into the fence, moving each runner up a bag. Thanks to Hodges' hustle, she earned the right to tag home.

Lazo was plunked to start the second and a sacrifice bunt by Kallyn Newport bumped her up a bag. Longmire sent a ball back up the middle, buying Lazo enough time to scamper for a score.

The fourth started out similarly. Lazo was grazed by a pitch to bring up Newport. She doubled to left center to put the pair in scoring position. An errant throw by the pitcher was scored a wild pitch and good base running allowed TU to take a 3-0 lead.

Concord tallied its first run of the day in the fifth via two hits and an advancing groundout.

Tusculum got its three-run advantage back in the bottom half of the inning. Maddox singled to center and stole second. The speedy senior scored on a Hodges single through the right side.

The Mountain Lions came close to scoring again in the sixth. Back-to-back singles and an advancing bunt moved two runners into scoring position with only one out. Concord was attempting a squeeze-play but the Pioneers sniffed it out. A SportsCenter worthy, all-out dive by Lazo on the bunt attempt caught the runner off guard as she fired the caught pop-up to third and Hughes easily applied the double play tag.

The last run of the contest was soon after. Three consecutive singles by Hughes, Longmire, and Maddox plated the former for the fifth and final run of the game for the Pioneers.

Reynolds went five innings of one-run ball, relenting three walks and nine hits with five strikeouts. Ireland Cavanaugh entered in relief to pick up her first collegiate save after two innings of scoreless work, including a strikeout.